old woman, in a harsh voice, while
she moved her horrible fingers, as if about to scratch out Truella's
eyes.

"I came to see the Wizard," said the Princess, calmly, "and if you will
allow me to pass I shall give you, in return for the favor, some
delicious chewing-gum."

"Chewing-gum!" croaked the old woman, "what is that?"

"It is a dainty of which all ladies are very fond," replied Truella,
taking the packet from her basket. "This is it."

The old woman hesitated a moment, and then said:

"Well, I'll try the chewing-gum and see what it is like; there will be
plenty of time to scratch out your eyes afterwards."

She placed the gum in her mouth and tried to chew it, but when she shut
her jaws together the great tusk went straight through her neck and
came out at the back. The old hag gave a scream and put up her hands to
pull out the tusk again, but so great was her excitement that in her
haste she scratched out both her own eyes, and could no longer see
where the Princess was standing.

So Truella ran through the cave and came to, a door, on which she
knocked. Instantly it flew open, and before her she saw another cave,
this time brightly lighted, but filled with knives and daggers, which
were flying about in every direction. To enter this cave was
impossible, for the Princess saw she would immediately be pierced by
dozens of the sharp daggers. So she hesitated for a time, not knowing
how to proceed; but, chancing to remember her basket, she took from it
the iron ball, which she tossed into the center of the Cave of Daggers.
At once the dangerous weapons began to strike against the ball, and as
soon as they touched it they were broken and fell to the floor. In a
short time every one of the knives and daggers had been spoiled by
contact with the iron ball, and Truella passed safely through the cave
and came to another long stairway leading downward. At the bottom of
this she reached the third cave, and came upon a horrible monster.

It had the body of a zebra, the legs of a rhinoceros, the neck of a
giraffe, the head of a bull dog, and three corrugated tails. This
monster at once began to growl and run toward her, showing its terrible
teeth and lashing its three tails. The Princess snatched the mirror
from her basket and, as the creature came near her, she held the
glittering surface before its eyes. It gave one look into the mirror
and fell lifeless at her feet, being frightened to death by its own
reflecti